Diesel Pump - Fuel Input Leak

[IainMac]

I've recently had the injector seals done on my diesel pump to fix a small fuel leak. However having fixed those leaks the pump is now leaking (I'm told) from the fuel input. So looks like it's a case of fix one leak and the pressure moves on to the next weakest point!

Diesel specialist has offered to remove the pump and strip and replace all other seals.

Has anyone else had this problem? Looking for options as the pump is starting to cost me an arm and a leg.

Cheers
Iain

[321Away]

if its the small seals on the side this is a common fault and isnt that hard to fix, tho the inner 1 isnt the nicest to do!
Julian

[IainMac]

Both the inner and outer side seals have just been done. Hoped that would be the end of it but in fixing these it has given rise to the latest leak.

[mikeonb4c]

Adrian at Japan Direct in Bury (as top Bongo specialist) did my pump O ring (the hard to reach one between pump and engine block) recently. He won't attempt the job with the pump in situ, so removes it. More expensive on labour, but I don't blame him for not wanting to do it the contortionists way. He advised his usual practice is to send the pump away for a rebuild (and recalibrate I think he said) with all new seals, which I was fine for him to do. In the event, he decided it was worth just replacing the offending O ring, and this seems to have worked. Saved me over £150 in rebuild costs and 1 week in Bongo downtime, but I'll have to see if I end up with your problem (so far, so good! ).

What this story suggests to me though is that, as a general principle, the view of experience is that it is better in the long run to have the pump rebuilt and have done with it.

I actually lived with my small leak for 3 years by just putting a rag underneath the pump, on the engine undercover, and changing it at intervals. Worked well and no diesel spilt. Occasional pong in cab when I pulled up, but a scavenger fan over-ride switch cured that problem too

[IainMac]

I'm told doing the injector seals usually sorts it in most cases so chances are you'll be OK and you'll have saved some cash. Unfortunately not in my case....

[teenmal]

I'm told doing the injector seals usually sorts it in most cases so chances are you'll be OK and you'll have saved some cash. Unfortunately not in my case....

Hi IainMac,

Have you checked the distributor body seal,and the one in the middle of the injector pump pipes.
If the distributor body seal leaks you can usually see a drip on the lower right hand set screw on the pump body(looking from the rear of the pump).Do you use vegetable oil.

Cheers Mal.

[Diplomat]

Have you checked the distributor body seal,and the one in the middle of the injector pump pipes.
If the distributor body seal leaks you can usually see a drip on the lower right hand set screw on the pump body(looking from the rear of the pump).Do you use vegetable oil.

I have recently effected a significant reduction in leakage by cleaning the area around the set screw with methanol and then smearing 'Storm Sure' wet suit glue over and around the screw head and surrounding area. Presumably fuel is still leaking around the internal seal and must be going somewhere, probably the other lower set screw which is hidden by a bracket.

Before my fix the leak was serious. now it has taken 4 weeks to collect about 150 ml in my drip catcher. The drip catcher is a polythene funnel wedged under the rear of the pump with a short tube jubilee clipped onto it and leading into a 1 llitre plastic bottle securely wedged lower down and forward. I just this afternoon emptied it and filtered the recovered oil for re use. Waste not want not.

The wet suit glue is about a fiver a tube and is also good for mending splits in soles of shoes. I even filled a fairly cosmetic graze on a tyre sidewall with it. Once opened it hardens in the tube if not used so line up the jobs ready to optimise the use.


Frank

[IainMac]

Attempted another look at this yesterday and oddly enough is now dry! However, based on where the leak was forming, it may well have been around the set screws. Will need to keep an eye on it.

[teenmal]

Attempted another look at this yesterday and oddly enough is now dry! However, based on where the leak was forming, it may well have been around the set screws. Will need to keep an eye on it.

Hi Iain,

Do you use cooking/veg oil by any chance.

Cheers..

[IainMac]

Hi Mal

I don't use vegetable oil (doesn't mean the previous owner didn't).

Having investigated again tonight the drip is forming on the screw to the right and beneath the injectors. It doesn't persist for very long after starting up.

[Doone]

My husband (Allan) has done the seals on diesel pumps many times.
The cheapest option can be just to replace the seal that's leaking... but of couse, it depends which seal's leaking. For example, if the seal can be replaced without removing the pump, it takes less 'labour' time. And sometimes you can just replace the leaking seal, and find that the other seals are fine for a long time. (But sometimes it's like you said, other seals start to leak.)
Recently, on our Bongo pickup, the seals that were leaking couldn't be replaced without removing the pump. So Allan took the pump out, and did all the seals at the same time, which will save him from doing this again for a long time.
So, if the seals that need to be replaced mean that the pump has to be removed, I'd get them all done at the same time. This will save on labour costs in the long run.

[mikeonb4c]

My husband (Allan) has done the seals on diesel pumps many times.
The cheapest option can be just to replace the seal that's leaking... but of couse, it depends which seal's leaking. For example, if the seal can be replaced without removing the pump, it takes less 'labour' time. And sometimes you can just replace the leaking seal, and find that the other seals are fine for a long time. (But sometimes it's like you said, other seals start to leak.)
Recently, on our Bongo pickup, the seals that were leaking couldn't be replaced without removing the pump. So Allan took the pump out, and did all the seals at the same time, which will save him from doing this again for a long time.
So, if the seals that need to be replaced mean that the pump has to be removed, I'd get them all done at the same time. This will save on labour costs in the long run.

Good advice and interesting that you take the same line as Adrian at Japan Direct (another old hand at Bongo mechanics). Cheaper and better in the long run